News archive from 30 December 2012

He says he did not indulge in the illegal substances that were prevalent on London's party scene such as cannabis and LSD.
Now 74, Bailey has spoken about quitting alcohol 40 years ago after overdoing it in the decade renowned for excess.
He even...

Scottish actor McGregor has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) medal, while revered pop star Bush and Emin have both picked up Commander of the British Empire (CBE) accolades.
Blake, who is perhaps best known for his work on images for...

Grasping her mother's hand tightly as she waited to go into yet another hospital appointment, it dawned on opera star Camilla Kerslake how alien the situation felt. Of course, the clinical white walls and smell of disinfectant were unfamiliar but it...

A man has been charged with a religiously-aggravated offence after a pig's head was found outside a community centre being used by a Muslim prayer group.
Leicestershire Police said the 23-year-old man would appear in court in the New Year charged with...

The thirsty but thrilling Chevrolet Camaro provides enough all-American excitement to impress Frederic Manby
THE idea of charging a toll to use busy roads is often in the news. In France you pay to use some motor­ways but you get a pleasant...

My first car was a 1974 Toyota Corolla. My dad gave it to me for my 16th birthday.
He paid $300 for it which was big money in 1986, especially for a young boy called Tom Stade who was wide-eyed and wanted to be an actor and was getting into partying...

IT HAS a complex nose with a hint of banana, a whiff of fruitcake and a huge dollop of crowd-funding.
Sia whisky has become the first Scotch in the world to be funded through Kickstarter, the “crowd-sourcing” website that is more commonly used to fund...

The musicians helping Scotland to party tell Fiona Shepherd what New Year means to them
Bruce Macgregor, Blazin’ Fiddles
As a band Blazin’ Fiddles have had some great New Year experiences. We did the BBC Hogmanay show one year when it went live...

Even if you don't manage to catch Simple Minds live, we promise you a miracle wherever you bring in 2013 with our Hogmanay listings.
EDINBURGH
TODAY
Torchlight Procession Starting at Chambers Street, 6.30pm, free but ticketed. (Torch vouchers are now...

CHRISTMAS is all about giving. But sometimes taking can be even more fun.
Doors Open
Boxing Day, STV, 9pm
Restless
Thursday and Friday, BBC1, 9pm
Doctor Who
Christmas Day, BBC1, 5.15pm
On Boxing Day, when most of us were ruing that extra slice of...

This week Graeme Virtue will be watching...
BEST ARTS The Review Show With Billy Connolly
BBC2, Friday, 11pm
The Big Yin sits in with Kirsty Wark. The notional peg is his role in Quartet, a film about retired opera singers directed by Dustin Hoffman,...

WHEN I catch up with the artist Zoe Walker on a chilly winter evening in a warm Edinburgh bar, it's a little disconcerting to find her in civilian gear after a day teaching at Edinburgh College of Art.
When we last met in April, Walker and Neil...

Scotland's natural beauty is in the eye of the beholder, writes Peter Ross
LOCH Lomond in December. Where better to spend a cold, still morning as the last days drain from the paling year? Above Tarbet, the air is fragrant with wood smoke, and Ben...

A man has been charged with a religiously-aggravated offence after a pig's head was found outside a community centre being used by a Muslim prayer group.
Leicestershire Police said the 23-year-old man would appear in court in the New Year charged with...

British prime minister Harold Wilson, accompanied by his wife Mary, casting his vote in the 1975 referendum. Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images You have got to hand it to the Conservative party's right wing and their camp followers in Ukip. They may...